Helps to Reflect - AIR

AIR – Attractions, Instructions and Recognitions

These questions will help you go deeper with the “Reflect” step of the 3 R’s: Read, Reflect, Resolve.

Note: There is no need to use all the questions in one meditation.

The “Attractions” (How is the Holy Spirit getting my attention?)

  • What caught my attention?

  • Was I impressed or struck by some point?

  • Is there something I was drawn to spontaneously?

  • How were my thoughts, imaginations, emotions, memory and/or desire engaged?

  • What thought, feeling, memory about God, myself, others and/or life…occurred, or surfaced?

The “Instructions” (What does God want for me?)

  • Was I pointed toward something specific? What was it?

  • Did I discover something that “stirred my heart” or moved me toward a new direction? What was it?

  • Did I receive some new knowledge, something I didn’t know before? Did I come upon a truth new to me? What was it?

  • Did I receive a correction? What was it?

  • Did I receive support or a confirmation in some area of my life? What was it?

  • Did I recall some pain or difficulty? What was it?

  • Did I experience some comfort, reassurance? What was it?

The “Recognitions” (What am I spiritually coming to realize?)

  • What previous understanding about God, myself, others and/or life has changed?

  • Why do I think God wanted me to be aware of this understanding?

  • How does this impact my good and the good of others with whom I’m in relationship?

  • If I was made aware of a memory, where is God in this memory now as opposed to the past?

  • Did I come to understand a greater way to be united with Christ or follow Him more closely?

  • Did I see how I could love Christ more?

  • Did I come to be surer of my faith?

  • Did I learn something about the Church and God’s relationship with the Church that brings satisfaction to my personal faith?

  • Did I feel a desire to turn more toward God in some area of my life that I was afraid to face?

  • Has a particular virtue(s) been made my focus?

  • Did I receive a new reality about my relationship with God that reveals God’s particular love for me as His son/daughter, brother/sister?

  • Did I find myself asking for forgiveness with the desire of going to the Sacrament of Reconciliation?

  • Did I find myself thanking God, praising Him, or more clearly focusing on a need that I have in a prayerful way?

  • Is there some intention toward a particular good that I ought to fulfill?

  • Did I have an appreciation that the insights I discovered are especially my own, that is, intentionally given to me by God for my own good?


Printable Version (PDF)

Previous
Previous

Parts and Basic Guide to Meditative Prayer

Next
Next

Signs of Spiritual Growth